Fun House of Death
by psycho-rag-doll
Summary: Susie's school is having a Halloween carnival, and Shawn agrees to be the fortune teller. Everything's fine until a body, one that's not supposed to be there, is found in the Fun House. Can the killer still be at the school?
1. Chapter 1

*1987*

"That was lame."

"Shawn, stop trying to act all tough. You know that zombie in the last room scared you."

Young Shawn and Gus stood outside the exit of their school's haunted house. "C'mon, Gus. It was just Mr. Taylor."

"How do you know?"

"Easy. He was limping."

"Zombies always walk like that."

"But don't you remember what happened last week?" Shawn asked his friend. "Mr. Taylor hit his ankle on a desk leg. He's been limping for the past week."

"Whatever, Shawn. You were still scared."

Shawn rolled his eyes. Then the clock on the wall caught his attention. "Oh, crap." he said.

"What?" asked Gus.

"I told my dad we'd be done ten minutes ago." Both boys looked at each other in horror and bolted towards the door.

*2009*

Susie had gone crazy. Shawn simply stood there in the office, taking in all the decorating Susie had done. The whole place was covered in black and orange. There were ghosts and skeletons and witches galore. "Susie?" he called.

Susie came into the main part of the office, a string of lights in her hands. "Hey, Shawn." she said.

"Looks like you've been busy."

"Yeah. Can you hold these for a sec?"

Susie thrust the lights into Shawn's hands and disappeared again. A few seconds later she reappeared, ladder in hand. "Come on," she said, walking past Shawn to the door. He followed her and watched as she set the ladder up and climbed it. When she was at the top, she held her hands down to Shawn. He handed her the end to the string of lights and watched as her hands flew, connecting it with the other strange on the edge of the roof.

"You really like Halloween, don't you?"

"I love it." Susie said, climbing down and moving the ladder. "It's like a second Christmas for me."

The rest of the lights went up in record time. Susie turned them on and stood to bask in an orange glow. "Do you ever get any trick-or-treaters here?" she asked.

"No. Gus and I usually eat the candy ourselves."

Susie nodded. At that moment, Shawn remembered why he'd come to the office. "Hey, my dad wanted me to come pick you up so we could go to his house."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I think we might be carving pumpkins."

"Awesome!" Susie said. "Just give me a minute." She went inside with the ladder. Shawn watched as the lights flicked off, and Susie came back out, helmet in hand. "I thought your dad didn't like me riding on your bike."

"Yeah, well, he'll get over it. I'm safer than he thinks." Shawn glanced at Susie's t-shirt beneath her zippie. "Nice shirt."

"Thanks," Susie said, looking down at the white Scream mask printed on the black shirt. "I always watch Scream on Halloween, along with The Nightmare Before Christmas and a few other classic Halloween movies." She looked at Shawn. "Would you and Gus care to join me this year?"

"Sure." Shawn said, as they walked towards his bike. "Gus might be afraid to go home afterwards, but we'll be there."

At Henry's house, they found him in the backyard. Four pumpkins sat on the porch, glistening slightly from the water Henry had sprayed on them to get them clean.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hi, Shawn. Hi, Susie," Henry looked momentarily confused. "Where's Gus?"

"Work. He'll be by in a few."

"Okay. Well, you two can go ahead and pick which pumpkin you want."

Henry went into the house, and Shawn and Susie went to examine the pumpkins. When they'd each chosen one and were sitting cross-legged on the porch, Shawn said, "Would you like me to psychically read your pumpkin?"

"What exactly would you be reading for?" asked Susie, twirling the drawing pen in her fingers.

"What it wants to be carved as. What it thinks of the other pumpkins. If it had a good aura."

"Ah. Of course. I always check the auras of my pumpkins."

Shawn smiled and the two started laughing. At that moment, Gus walked around the house and Henry came out of the house, a tray of drinks in his hands.

"Gus! Good to see you." Henry handed him a glass of apple cider.

"Thanks. I just got off work."

Shawn looked at Gus and stifled a laugh. He had changed into his orange Sarisium t-shirt. "Nice shirt, dude."

"Shut up, Shawn. I didn't want to get pumpkin guts on my clothes, and this is the only shirt I had in the car."

"At least it's a seasonal color," Susie said, smiling into her glass.

The four settled down and examined their pumpkins, finding the best surface to carve. Then they set about sketching their designs. Well, except Shawn.

"Aren't you going to draw the face first?" asked Gus.

"No," Shawn said, poising the knife over the orange flesh. "I'm going to let the knife guide me."

Half an hour later, the four placed their pumpkins on the porch and stood to admire them. Gus' was a standard smiling face, Henry's a creepy face with pointed teeth. Susie's was carved like Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. And Shawn's… Shawn's was a nightmare. The eyes were two different sizes, looking in two different directions. The mouth was a disaster, with oddly shaped teeth. There were other chunks missing all over the pumpkin.

"Shawn, what is that?" asked Gus, pointing to a curving line above the 'mouth'.

"A mustache."

The group stared at Shawn. "I'll go get some candles," said Henry. He took the pan with the seeds inside, so they could roast them. Susie's phone vibrated in her pocket, and she took a few steps away to answer it.

In the few minutes Henry and Susie were gone, Shawn and Gus managed to get in a pumpkin-slime fight. There were bits and pieces of orange goo on the two of them when Henry came back out with candles and matches.

"What are you two doing?"

"Nothing." The two of them said.

Susie came back to the group, and they all watched as Henry placed a candle in each pumpkin and lit it. The group stood and looked at the line of pumpkins, each face glowing and flickering. Susie pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a picture. The group stayed outside for a few more minutes, before they decided that it was a little too chilly. They decided to go inside and roast the seeds.

"Hey, Shawn." Susie said. "Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Monica called me. She was flipping out because the fortune teller we hired for our school's Halloween carnival got a better offer. So she was wondering if maybe you'd consider taking over?"

"Fortune teller?" Shawn asked. "Like, the whole crystal ball and turban thing?"

Susie nodded. "I figured it wouldn't be too difficult for you. You just pick something off the people that come in, tell them in a mysterious fashion, just like you do with people in your cases."

"That stung, Suze. I take pride in my job. Besides, what if I can't get anything off the people?"

"Do the standard lies all fortune tellers use. 'You'll come into some money soon', 'You'll meet a mysterious stranger in the near future'. You know."

Shawn considered it. "I don't know…"

"We'll pay $150."

"Okay."

"Great. Don't worry. I've got all the props and costumes you'll need."

Shawn had no doubt about that.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the weekend before Halloween. Shawn had gotten used to the decorations in the office (even the pineapple Susie'd carved). The lights were up, a pumpkin sat on the stoop with the word 'Psych' carved into it. Susie had even found a way to make the office phone's ring tone 'the death march', which scared the crap out of Gus the first time it went off. Shawn had gotten used to it all. But he wasn't sure he was happy about doing the fortune telling for a Halloween carnival.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" he asked Susie.

"Yes. Now hold still." She applied the finishing touches on Shawn's makeup. "There." She held up a mirror so Shawn could see what she'd done. It wasn't anything over the top. She'd just made his eyes more defined, and gave them a little bit of shimmer, to give him that mysterious all-knowing look. Compared to Susie, it didn't even look like he was wearing makeup. Susie was dressed as a rag doll, with patches on her dress, long striped socks and stitches drawn on her arms and face.

Shawn picked up the crystal ball Susie had found. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Like the real thing." Susie looked at her phone. "We'd better go. They want us there an hour before it starts."

"Okay. C'mon, Gus."

Gus simply sat at his desk, looking unhappy. He begrudgingly got up.

"Dude, fix your sash. It's crooked."

"Shawn, I didn't agree to do this. I look like an idiot."

"But I need an assistant to wash my ball."

"That's not funny, Shawn. Besides, why can't Susie do it?"

"Because I'm working everywhere else." Susie said, drawing on a last minute stitch. "Now stop complaining."

The group drove to the school, getting a few odd looks from the other people driving by. Gus pulled into a parking spot at the school and the three made their way in.

The school was decorated, but not nearly as much as the Psych office. Susie led Shawn and Gus to the gym, where there were a few stands set up. People, both with and without costumes, milled around, putting the finishing touches on the games and such. Susie led them to a corner of the gym, where a black tent was set up. Stars and moons covered the tent. Susie opened a flap of the tent and showed Shawn and Gus in. Inside, there was a circular table and two chairs across from each other. The purple table cloth was sprinkled with glitter. A few more stars and moons hung from the ceiling, along with tarot cards. A poster of a hand with an eyeball in the palm hung in the center of the back wall. Susie knelt down in the corner and flipped a switch, causing little white Christmas lights to turn on, giving the tent a dull glow, since only every other light worked. "Light these candles around 6:45." said Susie.

Shawn looked as Susie put two tarnished silver candleholders with two long white candles on the table. "Suze, did you by any chance decorate this area?"

"Yeah. Since it was my idea to get a fortune teller, I wanted to be the one to decorate for it. Why?"

"It just… has your touch."

Susie smiled and walked towards the opening of the tent. "I have to go make sure everything else is going well. I'll be back around five 'til seven, to set up Gus' table and make sure you know what you're supposed to do."

"Gus gets his own table?"

"Well, yeah. He's your barker."

"Excuse me?" Gus said.

"Yeah. You'll sit outside the tent and take people's tickets, and entice others to come in." Susie said as she left the tent.

Finally, it was almost time for the carnival to start. Susie came back to the tent and set up Gus' table. She taped the 'Fortune Teller: 2 tickets' sign on the front and set a glass fishbowl on the table. "Put the tickets in here." she instructed Gus. "So. You guys ready?"

Gus nodded and sat behind his table. "Where are you going to be?" asked Shawn.

"No idea. My job is to wander around the carnival, making sure everything is going well, and bringing refreshments to the workers."

Shawn nodded. "So, you're like, in charge of this?"

"Exactly. The school needed ideas of how to raise money. This was my idea, so they put me in charge."

"Surprising, considering the principal doesn't really like you."

"I know. If this goes well, maybe I can get back on her good side."

"Do you really want that?"

Susie shrugged and looked at her phone. "Doors are opening soon. I'll stop by later, make sure everything's okay. Text me if you need anything."

Shawn watched as she left, and went back into his tent and sat behind his table. His first 'customer' didn't come until 7:20. But after that things really picked up, not just at his booth, but all over.

Gus watched as people went into the tent looking normal, but coming out filled with emotion. Some looked scared, some looked extremely happy. Shawn was doing a better job than the other fortune teller the school had hired, Gus figured.

Susie was also busy, constantly checking that the staff was doing their jobs well and that the customers were happy. She was happy with the turnout. Around 8:30 Monica called her.

"Hey, I need your help down at the haunted house."

Susie quickly went down to the basement, which was usually the cafeteria. There was a line of people outside the entrance. Susie found her friend dressed as a vampire, standing under the sign that read 'Haunted House' in red letters that looked like they were dripping blood.

"What's up?" asked Susie.

"A kid went into the house and I guess he got scared and won't come out."

"What about his parents?"

"He was by himself. But a few people came out and said there was a kid crying in there. He won't move."

Susie nodded and went into the haunted house. It didn't start out too bad, but it got progressively scarier the further you went in. She found the kid about midway through the house.

"Hey," she said, coming closer to the boy, shining her flashlight on the floor near him. "Are you okay?"

The boy, probably a sixth grader, shook his head. He pointed at his foot, which Susie bathed in light. She saw that the kid had gotten tangled in some fake cobweb, and had probably gotten even more stuck by trying to wiggle out of them. Susie worked the boy's foot out and helped him stand.

"Thanks," he said, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Susie nodded. "I'll walk you out."

The two walked through the haunted house, Susie shining her light on a few of the decorations, just to make sure everything was still holding up. She noticed something that looked like a foot sticking out from under a table. She took the kid through another room. "There's the exit." she said, pointing her flashlight at the curtain. The kid ran out, and Susie called Monica.

"I see you got the kid out," Monica answered.

"Yeah. Can you hold the line a little longer?"

"Um, I guess. Is everything okay?"

"I just need to check something."

Susie hung up and went back to the room with the table. She lifted up the table cloth. There was indeed a foot under the table. It just happened to be attached to a body. One that wasn't a decoration.

Susie quickly took a pulse. Well, she tried. But there wasn't one. She picked up her flashlight and left the haunted house.

"Everything good?" Monica asked.

"No." Susie turned to the group in front, waiting to get in. "Sorry, folks. This is closed for the rest of the night."

Susie ignored the groan and a few profanities. "Stay here, make sure no one goes in" she told Monica. Susie went back upstairs and up to Gus. "Is someone in there?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Don't let anyone go in when they come out. I need to talk to Shawn."

At that moment, a lady, probably mid-twenties cam out of the tent. Susie ran in behind her, hoping Gus would follow her instructions.

"Welcome to your glimpse of the future," Shawn said. "Please have a—oh, Susie. What are you doing here?"

"There's a body in the haunted house."

"Just one? That's not very scary, Suze."

"A real one, Shawn."

Shawn paused. "Are you sure it's not a decoration?"

"It wasn't there when I walked through before the carnival. And its skin is too flesh-like to have been made or bought."

"Well," Shawn said. "I didn't see this coming."


	3. Chapter 3

"What are we going to do?" asked Gus. He had been brought inside the tent after Susie had scribbled out 'Closed' on a piece of orange paper and safety pinned it to the outside of the tent. Gus had been brought up to speed.

"Well, we can't very well leave the body down there." Shawn said.

"I told Monica to stand guard, making sure no one else went into the haunted house." Susie said.

"Did you call Lassie?" Shawn asked. Susie shook her head. "Okay. Let's go down to the haunted house. We'll check things out, and then call the police."

"Maybe we should call the police now." Gus said.

"That would ruin my psychic-ness of the situation."

"Look, I'll call them on our way down to the basement." Susie said. The three left the tent and went downstairs. Susie got through and told the police what was going on. "Make sure Lassiter knows." she said as she hung up.

Monica had turned off the scary music and was listening to her iPod. She looked up as the group approached. "Oh, hey guys." she said. "What's going on?"

"We're here to examine a body." Gus said.

"Which one?"

"The one that's not supposed to be here."

"Did someone take the cadaver from the science lab and bring it down here?"

Susie quickly thought if this could be a possibility. "No." she said. "I didn't smell any formaldehyde."

Monica stared at Susie. Susie turned on her flashlight and led Shawn and Gus into the house.

By the time they reached the body, Shawn and Gus were practically on top of each other. Susie picked up the end of the table cloth and pointed her flashlight at the body. Shawn and Gus did the same, trying hard not to look at the rest of the decorations.

Shawn didn't notice anything unusual about the body (besides it being dead). "Couldn't we turn on some lights?" Gus asked. He leaned down and flipped a switch, causing a strobe light to turn on.

"That really helped, buddy." Shawn said.

"Shut up, Shawn." Gus said, flicking the switch again.

"I'll go turn on the lights." Susie said, making her way towards the exit.

"No, don't." Shawn said, grabbing her arm.

"Why?"

"Because…. We need you here."

"What for?"

Shawn tried to think of a reason for Susie to stay that didn't sound totally lame. "I'll call Monica and tell her to turn them on," Susie said, knowing what was going on in Shawn's head.

At that moment, Susie's phone rang, causing both Shawn and Gus to jump. Susie answered it. "Hey, I was just about to call you. Can you hit the lights?"

"Okay. There are some policemen here…" Monica said.

"Send them through the exit."

Susie hung up and the lights flipped on. The three turned off their flashlights and turned to find Lassiter, Juliet and a few other policemen coming into the room.

"There was an exit?" Gus asked. "Why couldn't we have come through the exit? Why'd we have to walk through this whole thing?"

"All right, who the hell called me to a high school carnival?" Lassiter asked. He noticed Shawn, Gus and Susie standing around a table, all dressed strangely. "Of course." he said. "Spencer, what the hell is on your head?"

"The turban of knowledge."

"Who called us down here?" Juliet intervened, so Lassiter wouldn't attack Shawn.

"I did." Susie said. "I found the body when I came in here to get a kid out."

"Morrison, you're in a haunted house. Do you realize how many bodies are in here? If this is some sort of joke--"

"Twenty-seven."

"What?"

"There were twenty-seven bodies placed in this haunted house, and ten skeletons. This guy makes twenty-eight. He wasn't here at the beginning of the carnival. He appeared somewhere between 6:45 and 8:30."

"So, let me get this straight. Someone managed to drag a body down to the basement and put it in the haunted house without anyone seeing?" Lassiter asked.

"They wouldn't have had to drag it down the stairs. The loading dock is just around the corner. They could have snuck in through the back and into the exit, like you guys did." Susie said. She turned to Monica. "When did people start showing up for this?"

"You came down for your walk-through about 6:40. The doors opened at 7, and I think the first group came about 7:05."

"And you didn't hear anyone dragging a body into the house?" Lassiter asked, getting aggravated.

"I had the music on from the time Susie came down 'til about ten minutes ago."

"Turn the music on again." Shawn said.

"Why?" asked Juliet.

"Gus and I will go around to the loading dock. You guys stand outside, with your backs to the exit of the house, and see if you can hear us coming."

Lassiter looked skeptical, but the group exited the haunted house and Monica turned on the CD player as Shawn and Gus went towards the loading dock. When they got to the corner, Shawn told Gus, "Okay. Now get on the floor."

"Why?"

"So we can see if they can hear a body being dragged."

"Why don't you get on the ground?"

"C'mon, Gus. We both know I'm stronger. It's only logical that I pull you."

"Well, you have been putting on the pounds." Shawn and Gus stared at each other. Then Gus turned and walked back towards the group. Shawn followed, dragging one foot behind him.

"What are you doing?" Gus asked.

"Well, **someone** wouldn't be a dead body for me to drag. So I had to improvise. Now, walk this way."

"Shawn, you look like an idiot."

The two reached the group, still oblivious. Shawn snuck into the haunted house, Gus close behind him. They waited a few seconds, seeing if anyone had noticed them. Then Shawn stuck his head through the curtain. "Mwahahaha!" he said.

Monica jumped, and Lassiter and Juliet spun around, hands reaching for their guns. "Well, I think that proves that point." Shawn said.

"What point?" Lassiter asked.

"That a body could easily be dragged into the haunted house without anyone knowing." Susie said.

Lassiter glared at Susie. "So, do you think the killer could still be here?" Gus asked.

"My turban is giving me strong 'yes' vibes." Shawn said.

Juliet looked at Shawn. "Go block all the exits," she said to the other uniforms. "We're on lockdown. No one gets out. And get the coroner in here."

Susie sidled over to Shawn. "Did you see something?"

"No. But we have a better chance of stopping the killer this way."

Susie nodded. "How are we going to convince Lassiter I'm innocent on this one?"

"How do you know he suspects you?"

"Dude, one of our diplomats could be murdered in another country and Lassiter would suspect me. He hates me."

"No he doesn't."

"Besides, I've been here the whole time, I know where the loading dock is, and I found the body. Again."

"That does kind of point towards you." Gus said.

"And that's why you're not my lawyer."

"I was in 6th grade law, thank you very much."

Lassiter came up just as the coroners brought the body bag out of the house. "I'm going to need statements from all of you. And the rest of the people here." He looked at Susie. "Do you know of a room we could use?"

Susie pulled a key ring out of her pocket. "Will the library work?"

"Where'd you get those keys?" Lassiter asked in a slightly accusing voice.

Susie looked at Shawn in an 'I-told-you-so' way. "This isn't even half of the keys the janitors have. And I was given these so I could get supplies and such from other rooms in the building, since I'm in charge and all."

Lassiter glared slightly, and allowed Susie to lead him to the elevator. Shawn and Gus started to follow, and Shawn made a quick dash towards the body.

"Shawn, what are you doing?"

"Getting a better look at the body."

Shawn unzipped the bag and studied the body. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Then Shawn noticed a small dash of purple on the collar of the victim's shirt. It was somewhat metallic and shiny.

"Come on, Shawn. The elevator's here."

Shawn zipped the bag up and ran after Gus.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, how did you know that the body was dragged down to the haunted house?" Lassiter asked. He was doing Shawn, Gus and Susie's statements at the same time, though it was turning into an interrogation. This question, like some of the more pointed ones, seemed directed at Susie.

"You're the one that suggested it," Susie said. "I just went along with it. I suppose it could have been carried by two people--"

"Which is conceivable, since Spencer was 'in the tent' during that time, and could have helped you."

"That's so true, Lassie." Shawn said. "Except for the hundred or so people who came to me for guidance during that time."

Lassiter narrowed his eyes. Juliet came into the library at the moment. "O'Hara, bring me another carnival customer. I'm done with these three."

"Okay. Coroner's preliminary report just came in."

"What's it say?"

"No toxins, no abnormal bruises. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Time of death?"

"About 36 hours ago."

Lassiter looked at Susie, a small glint in his eyes. "What?" she finally asked.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking that it's quite possible that you killed the man and brought him down here and put him in the haunted house before your walk-through."

"And I got the body in the school how?"

"Don't you have keys to both the front door and the loading dock?"

"Yeah. And so do the janitors."

"You could have easily gotten the body to the school."

"With the invisible car I own?"

"Spencer drives."

"A motorcycle."

"He could have borrowed a car from someone, like Gustor. Or his father."

"Okay." Susie said. "Why don't you go take some Midol, and then go check those cars for any evidence that a dead body was put in them. I'm going to make sure that everything is still alright on the floor."

"Oh, no you don't." Lassiter said, grabbing Susie's wrist. She simply stared at him. "We've got plenty of uniforms down there for crowd control. And I'm not gonna let you have a chance to destroy evidence." Lassiter snapped a handcuff on her wrist. He attached the other to a standing floor lamp. Susie looked from the cuffs to the detective, an 'are-you-serious?' look in her eyes.

"Lassie, I really don't think--"

"Can it, Spencer."

Shawn looked at Gus. Something was really pissing Lassiter off. "We'll see you guys later." Shawn glanced at Susie, who simply stood there. Shawn knew she was probably plotting her escape or revenge on Lassiter. He and Gus left.

They found Juliet momentarily. "Hey, Jules."

"Oh, hey Shawn."

"Is that the case file?"

"Yes, it is. And no, you can't have it."

"Why do you always assume I want what you have? I merely want to look."

Juliet paused, considering. In a slightly annoyed fashion, she handed the file over to Shawn. "Just a few minutes. And I'm not leaving."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Shawn said. He flipped the file open and he and Gus scanned it. "So," Shawn said. "What's Lassiter's deal?"

"What do you mean?" asked Juliet.

"He's got Susie handcuffed to a floor lamp."

"Why?"

"He's convinced she's the murderer, and doesn't want her to get away and' destroy evidence'." Gus said.

"Lassiter don't like Halloween."

"Really?" Shawn said. "Lassie follows that stereotype?"

"What stereotype?"

"That cops hate Halloween, because that's when 'all the crazies come out'."

"Maybe if all the crazies stayed inside, we could have a chance to enjoy it." Juliet said, her voice slightly strict.

Shawn paused, surprised at her reaction. "Okay. Well. Here you go." He said, handing the file back. "So, what's our next move?"

"I'm going to get a couple carnival customers to question and get statements from. You just… stay out of the way."

Juliet went down the hall, leaving Shawn and Gus standing there, silent.

"Well," Gus said. "Now what?"

"I say we go back to the loading dock."

"Why?"

"See if there's any proof that the body was or wasn't dragged."

"There was dust on the vic's clothes," Gus said, as the two made their way downstairs.

"That could have easily been from the haunted house. Or maybe the guy didn't do laundry all that often."

The two made it to the basement. Shawn checked to see if there were any police officers. There was only Buzz.

"Hey, Buzz." Shawn said, walking towards him.

"Hey, Shawn. What are you doing here?"

"Workin' the case, dude! Gus and I were here when the body was found." There was a flash behind Buzz. "Are the crime scene guys here?"

"Yeah. Lassiter wanted them to get picture from the house and loading dock."

"Mind if Gus and I have a look around?"

"Um. Well, I guess not. Just don't bother the workers."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Shawn said, even though he'd been thinking of jumping into a shot or two. He and Gus walked towards the loading dock.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Gus asked.

"Anything."

Shawn looked at the floor from the dock's doors to the ramp down to the back of the haunted house. There were a few piles of leaves that had blown in, but that didn't really prove anything. But then Shawn saw a few faint scuff marks. It looked like someone had tried to rub them away.

Shawn quietly scuffed the floor with his own shoe. It left a mark, but a thicker one that the others. He put his foot out in front of him and dragged his heel back. That mark was incredibly similar to the others.

Shawn quickly rubbed his marks away. "Come on, Gus."

"Where are we going?"

"The library."

Gus followed Shawn. "Why?"

"I found something that proves a body was dragged down the ramp."

The two rode the elevator up to the library. Lassiter was just sending two people out. "Hey, Lassie. Any progress?"

"Spencer, I'm in the middle of something. Go--"

But before Lassiter could tell Shawn where to go, Shawn threw himself on the floor. "Oh!" he cried out. "I'm…. I'm…."

"Incredibly annoying?" Lassiter asked. "Get out." He leaned down to pick Shawn up, but the fake psychic wriggled away. "The spirits are telling me that the victim was definitely dragged down from the loading dock."

"And why's that?"

Shawn's foot shot up. Then he brought it back down and dragged his heel on the carpet. "Scuff marks!" he said. "There are scuff marks on the floor! The spirits insist!"

"And how do 'the spirits' know they're from the victim?" Juliet asked, coming into the library, two more people with her. They looked frightened, and seeing Shawn seizing on the floor wasn't helping.

Shawn sat up and closed his eyes. "The scuff marks are in parallel lines. How could that have been done by someone casually walking?"

Lassiter looked at Juliet. "Let 'em go, O'Hara. We haven't had one helpful one yet. We might as well go and prove Spencer's 'spirits' wrong." He turned to Shawn and Gus. "You two stay here."

Shawn watched as the detectives left. Then he stood up. He saw the case file on a table. "Here," he said, handing it to Gus. Then he walked over to Susie, who was sitting on the floor, handcuffed to the lamp, listening to her iPod and painting her nails.

"Hey, Suze." Shawn said.

"Your turban's crooked." Susie said, glancing up at Shawn.

Shawn took the turban off and sat it on the table. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Susie said, blowing gently on her nails. "Find anything?"

"Just some scuff marks." Shawn looked at Susie, who examined her nails. She slipped the polish back into her dress pocket. The light glistened off her nails.

"Wait a minute…" Shawn said. "Dude, give me the file."

Gus handed the file over and Shawn flipped to the pictures of the victim. He saw the same dash of purple on the guy's neck. It had a strange metallic shine to it. "The guy had a smear of nail polish on his neck." Shawn said.

Gus looked at the picture. "Okay, so how does that help us? Lots of people probably use that color."

"But how many that came here?" Shawn asked.

Gus shrugged. "How do you know the person came here?"

"Because I remember seeing it tonight." Shawn thought back to all the people that had come into his tent. Then he remembered whose nails had been painted the same color.


	5. Chapter 5

Shawn and Gus ran down to the gym where the carnival was. Nobody was doing much or anything. There were a few kids who were still playing some of the games.

"Shawn, how do you know the lady with the purple nails is still here?" asked Gus.

"Because," Shawn said, looking through the crowd. "She was the last person to come through my tent."

"So?"

"So Suze had just found the body. Not long after our purple-nailed woman left, the police arrived, putting this place on lockdown."

"Shawn, there was plenty of time for her to leave between the time she left your tent to the time the police came."

Shawn sighed, tired of explaining. "She had tickets with her."

"So?"

"There were at least four in her pocket. Why would she spend the money for the tickets if she left after using two?"

Shawn spotted the woman he was looking for. She was by his tent. He sprinted towards her. "Hey," he said when he approached her.

She turned around. "Are you the fortune teller?"

"Yes." Shawn said.

"I almost didn't recognize you without your turban." said the woman. "I came to your tent earlier."

"I remember. Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about."

"Then you could sense it?"

Shawn paused. "Yes…." he said uncertainly.

A wave of relief passed over the woman's face. "I'm so glad. I wanted to talk to you about it, but there was a line of people. I was hoping to talk to you. Without a line." The woman looked up at Shawn. "Do you know where my fiancé is?"

Shawn tried not to show his surprise. "Quite possibly."

"He disappeared Wednesday."

"Well, that makes sense with the time line." Gus said.

"Time line?" the woman asked.

"Do you live with your fiancé?" Shawn asked.

"Well, sort of. David's apartment is just down the hall from mine."

"I see. And how did you know David was missing?"

"I called him and he didn't answer. I figured he was swamped with work. But when he didn't call me to schedule our date this weekend, I began to think something was wrong. I came here, hoping to find him."

"Why would he be here?" Gus asked.

"Because David's a teacher here."

Shawn and Gus looked at each other. "Did David have any enemies, Ms…"

"Amanda. My name's Amanda. And no, he didn't." Amanda looked at the two men. "Is something wrong?"

"The spirit world is a very complex place." Shawn said. "They need a lot of random answers to help the living, like shoe sizes and favorite birds." Amanda looked strangely at Shawn. He put his fingers to his head. "There is too much energy down here. I have to go somewhere quieter. The spirits will then, hopefully, be able to give me something."

Shawn and Gus turned to leave. "The whooping crane." The two men turned around. "David's favorite bird was the whooping crane. And he wears a size eight." Amanda said.

Shawn nodded. "Thank you." He and Gus hurried back upstairs to the library. They checked to make sure Lassiter and Juliet weren't around, then went to Susie.

"Hey," Shawn said. "You holding up?"

"Considering I'm handcuffed to a lamp and a body was found in the haunted house, yes."

Shawn smiled. "Don't worry. This case will be solved in no time. In fact, Gus and I just got some information that might help us."

"Really?"

Shawn nodded. "Turns out our dead guy was a teacher here. Do you know any teachers named David?"

Susie thought about this. "I think there's been five or six teachers named David during my time here."

"Do you keep yearbooks in the library?" asked Gus.

Susie nodded. "Back there, in the corner."

Shawn and Gus went back to the shelf Susie indicated. They grabbed the yearbooks from the years that Susie had attended. Hopefully this wasn't David's first (and last) year teaching here, since the yearbook wouldn't be published until May. They took the books back to Susie. They each took a book and began to flip through the pages, looking for their dead man. The picture from the file sat in the middle of them.

"Here," Shawn said, pointing to a picture. "David Keller, Freshman English." He put the yearbook down for the others to see. "Does he look familiar, Suze?"

Susie shook her head. "I never had him. But at least we have a name to go with the body." She and Gus checked their books for pictures of Mr. Keller. They both found him.

At that moment, Lassiter and Juliet walked in. "Spencer, what the hell are you doing here?"

"The spirits guided me here. They said I could find our dead man living here."

"What are you talking about?" asked Juliet.

Shawn started waving his arms around. He picked up one of the yearbooks. He dragged his fingers around the page. He paused at David's picture. "Here." he said, pointing. "This is the man we found in the haunted house."

The detectives took the book out of Shawn's hands and Susie shoved the other books in the shelf behind her. "David Keller." Juliet read. "His picture matches the body we found. I'll let the Chief know." Juliet took her phone out. Shawn put his fingers to his head.

"I'm also getting something else. The victim's fiancée is here."

"At the carnival?" Lassiter asked. "That really narrows it down."

Shawn shut his eyes. "Blonde hair… purple nail polish… about 23…"

"Not helping, Spencer."

Shawn made a sudden movement, flapping his arms and making a strange noise. "Amanda." He said, quieting down. "His fiancée's name is Amanda."

Lassiter had backed away when Shawn started flailing about. "Let's go, O'Hara."

After the two detectives left, Susie said "What the hell was that?"

"A whooping crane." Shawn said. "David liked them."

"Of course." Susie said. "Why didn't I think of that. It was **obviously** a whooping crane." She leaned over and unplugged the lamp she was attached to and stood up.

"What are you doing?" asked Gus.

"Going to the back to get something to eat."

The two men watched as Susie picked up her lamp and walked away. They decided to follow her.

In the back of the library, in the room where book processing usually took place, was a huge amount of food. Chips and dip, deli trays, fruits and veggies, holiday cookies and cupcakes. The counter had a couple of jugs holding lemonade. The coolers on the ground held a great amount of soda.

"You guys want something?" Susie asked, setting her lamp down and picking up a plate. "This is for carnival workers."

Shawn and Gus both helped themselves. The three of them pulled up chairs and sat around their buffet table. "So," Susie said, making a little cheese sandwich for herself. "Do you think the fiancée killed David?"

Shawn shook his head, sliding a piece of pineapple off his fruit kabob. "No. She looked genuinely worried. And I don't think she'd have it in her to kill someone."

"Do you have any suspects?"

"No. David disappeared on Wednesday."

"And that means it might not be someone here." Gus said.

"But the body was placed in the haunted house tonight." Susie said.

"The person could have left afterwards."

"Then they would have to know their way around the school. And have a key for the loading dock."

"What do you mean?"

"They wouldn't want to be seen. And we decided that the body was dragged from the loading dock."

"How many people have keys to the loading dock?"

"Besides me, all the janitors on all three shifts, and maybe a few really powerful administrators, which is about twenty-five."

"How many were supposed to work tonight?"

"About seven."

"Are they still here?"

"Shawn, we're on lockdown. Of course they're still here."

"Right. Do you have a list of workers for tonight?"

Susie pulled out some folded papers from her pocket. "This covers all the shifts."

Shawn took the papers. "Alright. We've got seven janitors signed up to work. How many came before the body was found?"

Susie pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, how many janitors checked in tonight?" The person on the other end gave her some information. "Alright. Thanks." She hung up and took the list from Shawn. "Three signed in," she said, putting a check next to their names. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"And it could have been someone who didn't sign up to work." Gus said.

"Why would a janitor want to kill a teacher?" Shawn asked. "There's no logical reason."

"Does someone really need a logical reason to kill?" Susie asked.

Shawn rubbed his eyes. "We're getting nowhere."

"Well, sitting here isn't going to do us any good." Susie said, picking up her lamp.

"Where are you going?"

"The office. I'll make a call over the intercom for all janitorial staff. Maybe if we interview them we can get **something**."  
Shawn and Gus followed Susie to the elevator. "They gave you a key to the main office?" Gus asked.

"We'll see." Susie said.


	6. Chapter 6

The group walked down the hall to the office. Susie tried all of her keys, but with no luck. She pulled a hair pin out of her pocket and opened the lock. She sat down at the desk and turned on the intercom.

"I need all janitorial staff to report to the main office."

A few minutes later, four janitors were in the office.

"Frank, what are you doing here?" Susie asked.

"I signed up to work."

"You didn't check in." Shawn said.

All of the janitors turned to Shawn. "How do you know?" Frank asked.

"I'm a psychic. I can sense these things."

The other three janitors looked at Frank, to see if he would confirm or deny. "It's true. I had just gotten here when the police came. They put us on lockdown, so I figured it was no use to check in."

"What door did you come in?" Susie asked.

"The loading dock."

Susie looked at Shawn. This wasn't exactly hard evidence. "Did you others come through the loading dock as well?" Shawn asked.

The other janitors nodded. "It's the easiest way." said one of them.

"How many of you know Mr. Keller?" asked Gus. All four janitors raised their hands.

"And how many of you cleaned his room?" asked Shawn. Two janitors put their hands down. "You two can leave. But we might want to talk to you later."

Frank and another janitor left the office. Shawn was about to ask the other janitors a question when in came Lassiter and Juliet, Amanda behind them, looking confused.

"Morrison, how the hell did you get in here? I handcuffed you…" Lassiter then saw the lamp standing next to Susie. "Dammit, I told you to stay in the library."

"And I gladly would have. But I had to come do your job."

"What?"

Susie nodded towards the janitors. "We were about to ask them about David."

"Is something wrong?" Amanda asked.

"You didn't tell her?" Shawn asked.

"We don't have a positive ID." Juliet said.

"ID?" Amanda asked. "What's going on?"

Lassiter and Juliet looked at each other. "We found a body in the haunted house…" Juliet started.

"What?" asked Amanda. "Is it David?"

"It's quite possible." Lassiter said.

Amanda stood in shock. "Oh, Ms. Heyler," one of the janitors said. "I'm so sorry." He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket.

"He was a good man." said the other.

"Thank you Joe, Harold." Amanda said. "Can I see him?" she asked Juliet.

"We **do** need an identification of the body." Lassiter said.

"Carlton!" Juliet said, placing an arm around Amanda. "Come on, dear."

The two detectives left with Amanda. The two janitors turned to Shawn. "Joe, you can leave. I just need to ask Harold a few questions."

Joe left the office. "Have a seat," Shawn said.

Harold sat in the chair opposite Susie. "How long have you worked here?" Shawn asked.

"Eight years."

"And how many of those have you cleaned David Keller's room?" asked Gus.

Harold thought for a second. "Five."

"What shift do you work?"

"Second."

"Do you like being a janitor?"

"It's alright. I mean, let's be honest. I clean up vomit for a living. Not exactly perfect."

"Being a janitor, I'm sure you learn a lot of things about people. Things you're not supposed to."

"What do you mean?"

"Finding notes in the trash, overhearing conversations by pretending you're listening to your headphones. Things like that."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"Did you ever find anything interesting in David's room?"

Harold sat, looking at Shawn. Shawn looked out of the corner of his eye at Susie. She was typing a text message. He read the screen and put his fingers to his head. "You knew David was cheating on his fiancée."

Harold's face became slack. "How do you--"

"Dude, I'm psychic."

Harold crossed himself. "Yes, it's true. I found a couple notes in the garbage and overheard Mr. Keller on the phone once or twice."

"Is that why you killed David?" Gus asked. "Because he was a lying, cheating scumbag?"

Harold looked at Gus somewhat strangely. "You have been right about everything up to this point, Mr. Spencer. But I didn't kill Mr. Keller."

Shawn looked at Gus, and then at Harold. And then it dawned on him. "You told the other janitors what you found. It was a different janitor that killed David." Harold nodded slowly. Shawn took the list of carnival workers off the desk. "Was it one of these janitors?"

Harold shook his head without looking at the list. "He was not signed up to work. Which is why he had me bring the… body to the school. He didn't want to risk being seen."

"Which janitor was it?"

Harold hesitated. "He won't know it was you who told us." Shawn said.

"Clark." Harold said. "Am I going to get in trouble for this, since… you know…"

"We'll do our best to see that you don't." Shawn said. "Thank you. You're free to go."

Harold left and Shawn turned to Susie. "Can you get on the computer system and find where janitor Clark lives?"

Susie wiggled the mouse and logged in.

"Was that the principal's log in?" Gus asked.

"Yeah. Students aren't allowed into files like that."

"How did you--"

"Don't ask."

"And if you knew David was cheating on Amanda, why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Didn't seem relevant."

Gus turned to Shawn. "How did you know it was Harold?"

"He referred to David in past tense. He said he 'was a good man'. People usually don't say that unless they know the person's dead."

"Kind of a long shot, don't you think?"

"Gus, we're all about long shots in this business."

Susie scrolled through the staff list. "Suze," Shawn said. "Why didn't you pick the lock on the handcuffs?"

Susie glanced at her wrist, still cuffed to the lamp. "Because this is the new fashion." She looked at the screen. "Got it." She tore off a Post-it note and wrote the address down. She handed the note to Shawn. "Now, what's your plan?"

"Call Lassiter and tell him I've had a psychic breakthrough." Shawn got his phone out and hit speed dial.

"Shawn, is Lassiter on speed dial before me?" Gus asked, slightly outraged.

"Lassiter."

"Lassie, I've had a psychic signal! The spirits are telling me the killer's not at the school. He's at his house."

"Where?"

Shawn gave him the address. "We'll meet you there in ten minutes. Call the guys here and take them off lockdown." Shawn hung up. "Come on."

"Shawn," Susie said, looking at the cuff around her wrist. "The SBPD's upgraded."

"What do you mean?"

"They've changed handcuffs. You can't pick the lock with a hair pin anymore."

"Maybe the janitors have some magical tool that can break them…"

"Lassiter will kill you if you break his cuffs."

Shawn glanced around, seeing if there was something in the office that could pick the lock. But nothing jumped out at him. Then he got an idea. He took the lampshade off and put it on the desk. Then he unscrewed the light bulb and put it next to the lampshade.

Susie saw what he was doing. She stood up and slid the other cuff up the pole. It just barely fit over the screw-in spot for the light bulb.

"Should we take the lamp back to the library?" asked Gus.

"No. One of the janitors will get it Monday." Shawn said.

"At least, one of them who still works here." Susie said, as the three of them headed for the gym.


	7. Chapter 7

The three had no problem getting out of the school. The police guarding the doors were showing people out. The gym would be completely empty in a matter of minutes. Shawn, Gus and Susie quickly got in the little blue car and drove towards Clark's house.

They were met by Lassiter, Juliet and a few other men. "Spencer, what's going on?" Lassiter asked.

"We were right in thinking that it was a janitor," Shawn said. "But not one who was working at the carnival."

"So, what, he had another janitor take the body to the school?"

"He didn't want to raise questions, should he be seen, since he wasn't supposed to work tonight." Gus said.

"And what makes you so certain that our killer's just sitting at home?"

"The spirits are very sure of this." Shawn said.

"Plus, his car's in the driveway and the lights in the house are on." Susie said.

Lassiter looked at Juliet. "You guys stay here." The two official detectives went up to the front door and announced their arrival. When there was no answer, Lassiter kicked the door in. All the police workers ran inside, guns aloft.

Shouts of 'all clear' were heard. Shawn thought about this. Something wasn't right. Clark was supposed to be here. As Susie pointed out, his car was here and the lights were on. Then a thought came to him. He walked around the back of the house, Susie and Gus following.

In the backyard was a shed. "That's where he is." Shawn said.

"How do you know?" Gus asked.

"He's not in the house." Shawn said. "C'mon." He headed closer to the shed.

"Shawn, why would a janitor want to kill David?"

"You said it yourself at the school, Gus. Because he was a lying, cheating scumbag."

"What?"

"Harold found out David was cheating on Amanda. He told the other janitors. Clark, for one reason or another, decided she needed to be avenged, so he killed David." Susie said.

"Is avenged the right word?" Shawn asked.

"Who cares? Break down the door."

"But how did Clark kill him?" Gus asked. "What if he'd got a gun with him, Shawn?"

"Those questions don't really go together." Susie said.

"But let's see what we can find out." Shawn said. He kicked the door, but succeeded only in kicking a hold in the door and getting his foot stuck. 'How does Lassie do this?' Shawn thought. The door swung open, pulling off of Shawn's foot. In the doorway stood a man, silhouetted against the light.

"Who the hell are you?"

"We're with the neighborhood garden shed committee. We think it might be time for you to get a new door."

The man peered at Shawn. "I've seen you before." he said. "In the newspaper. You're that psychic who works with the police." Clark looked over Shawn's shoulder. "Are the police here?"

"Do you see the police?"

"No. Just the flashing lights."

Shawn, Gus and Susie turned around. You could indeed see flashes of red and blue in the street. Before any of them could do anything, Clark pulled them in the shed and shut the door.

The inside of the shed seemed pretty normal. There were a few tools hanging on the walls, and a lawnmower sitting in the corner. But the wall-space not covered in tools was covered in newspaper clippings and pictures. They all varied in color, from dark tan to light yellow to pretty much original color. Shawn concentrated on the clippings, to see if there was anything that could help piece this case together. Gus and Susie concentrated on not pissing the janitor off. He could very easily grab one of the garden tools and stab them in a major artery.

"So," Clark said. "How much do you know?"

"Just that you killed David Keller." Gus said.

"And somehow got Harold to transport the body to the school's Halloween carnival." Susie said.

At that moment, Shawn noticed an empty nail in the wall. He looked around and saw a cloth covering something on the floor. He carefully moved the cloth with his foot. It was a document, roughly framed with pieces of balsa wood. The document was very official looking. It was from the EMT services. It said that Clark was a certified EMT. "And we know how you killed him." Shawn said, turning back to the others, who stared at him.

"Oh, really." Clark said. "And how's that?"

"The spirits are sending me a message." Shawn closed his eyes and put his fingers to his head. "A snake on a cross…. flashing lights…. stretchers……" He opened his eyes. "You're an EMT."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "So?"

"So you know how to kill a man with drugs. You could do it and make it look natural."

"Why would you quit being an EMT to be a janitor?" Gus asked.

"Either way, you're still cleaning up vomit." Susie said.

Clark looked at the ground. "Because I fell in love."

Shawn, Gus and Susie all looked at each other. What?

Clark looked up, smiling at the memory. "She was the daughter of one of the guys we picked up. Heart attack. She was beautiful. We began to see more of each other. I was going to propose to her." Clark's smile went south. "But I found out the bitch was cheating on me. With my ambulance partner." Clark looked away. "I couldn't take it anymore. I left the hospital and applied at the school."

"As a janitor?" Gus asked.

"I couldn't stand medical field jobs anymore. They brought up too many memories."

"And when Harold revealed that he'd found evidence that David Keller was cheating on his fiancée…" Shawn said.

"It brought up those memories again." Susie finished.

"Amanda was too nice a person to have that happen to her. She deserved better." Clark said, anger rising.

"So you killed David, to free her from the misery." Shawn said.

"Of course I did!" Clark said. "I've been there! I know how it feels!"

"And you blackmailed Harold into helping you by saying you'd go to someone higher up and tell them he'd been snooping around." Susie said.

"That was the easy part. Harold's a pushover."

At that moment, the shed door crashed to the ground. Outside, Lassiter and Juliet stood, weapons drawn. "Clark James, you're under arrest for the murder of David Keller." Lassiter said, as he pulled out his handcuffs.

Clark was led away, Lassiter telling him his rights. "We saw the light coming from the hole in the door," Juliet said. "And we found medical supplies under his floorboards."

"Looks like we cleaned up this case." Shawn said, pun intended.

"You're an idiot." Susie said.


	8. Chapter 8

"Gus, for the last time, Michael Myers is not coming to get you."

It was Halloween night. The thunder rumbled and the lightning flashed outside the Psych office. Inside, Shawn, Gus and Susie were in the middle of their all-night movie marathon.

"Easy for you to say," Gus told Susie. "You know the brother always dies first."

Susie rolled her eyes and threw some popcorn at Gus. She walked over to the TV to put in a new movie. "Shawn?" she asked.

"Yeah?" came the muffled reply.

Susie turned around. "First of all, Freddy Kruger isn't coming to get _you_. And second, where's my Scream dvd?"

Shawn poked his head out from under the blanket and slowly uncurled himself from the fetal position. "I don't know. Is it in the closet still?"

"I would have sworn I'd gotten it out." Susie said. "But I'll check."

Shawn and Gus watched as she left the room. "Shawn, why did you talk me into this?"

"C'mon, buddy. Would you rather be at home, waiting for trick-or-treaters?"

"Yes."

Shawn looked at his friend. "Yeah, well… suck it up. We're here all night. Besides, the sun will be up in…" Shawn looked at his watch. "Eight hours…."

A giant crash of thunder shook the little bungalow. Both men jumped. "Where's Susie?" Gus asked.

"I don't know. Susie?" Shawn called. The only answer he got was a flash of lightning. The two looked at each other. Bravely, Shawn got up. "C'mon, Gus."

"You must be out of your damn mind." Gus said. "I'm not going deeper into the dark office."

"Okay, fine. Stay here, so the killer knows exactly where you are."

Gus jumped up and was next to Shawn in two seconds. The two walked to the closet. "Susie?" Shawn said.

A figure walked out of the shadows, wearing a Scream mask, holding a knife.

Shawn was almost scared. "Cute, Suze. Dressing up like the killer to watch Scream. And good diversion, 'losing' the dvd."

The figure just stood there, knife glinting.

"Shawn?"

Shawn and Gus turned around, where the voice had come from. Behind them stood Susie, dvd in hand. "I forgot I'd put it in my purse, which was next to the front door."

Shawn and Gus stood there in fear. "Susie…" Shawn said slowly. "Do you own a Scream mask?"

"No. I've always meant to get one, but…" At that moment, Susie saw the figure. Her eyes widened and she dropped the dvd. She screamed and Shawn and Gus turned around just in time to see the killer's knife plunging towards them. They grabbed each other and screamed.

The figure and Susie both started laughing. Shawn and Gus looked at each other and back at the figure, who was suddenly taller. They watched as the figure removed the mask.

"Dad?" Shawn asked.

"Happy Halloween, Shawn." Susie said.


End file.
